1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to safety accessories for hand tools and more particularly to a drop-prevention apparatus for hand-held power tools having a pistol-grip configuration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lanyards, tethers, hooks, and similar restraints are used to prevent accidental dropping of tools. These restraints are particularly useful in environments where a tool drop can cause substantial damage or harm to plant equipment, workers, or objects below a worker who accidentally drops a tool.
One method of restraining tools is to clip one end of a tether to an opening in the handle of a tool (e.g., a D-ring built into the tool's handle) and to clip the other end of the tether to the worker's belt or to a nearby structure. When workers properly tether a tool in this way, accidental drops can be eliminated or greatly reduced. However, due to safety concerns, aesthetic preferences, and to practical design limitations, many hand-held power tools lack attachment points for tethers.
While hand tools without moving parts may have openings or tether-attachment points, powered hand tools often do not. For example, cordless impact drivers and drills include a battery pack attachable to the end of the hand grip. Since it is removable, the battery pack is not an optimal location for a tether attachment point. Also, adding a tether attachment point to the hand grip may not be comfortable during use and it may not look pleasing in sales brochures. Further, manufacturers' concerns about product liability for harm caused by a tether becoming tangled with tool or other equipment lead to the manufacturers eliminating the tether-attachment feature altogether.
The problem of tethering a cordless drill has been addressed in one approach by looping a tether around the handle of the drill in a slip-knot fashion or the like. After looping around the handle, the tether is attached to the user's person or to a nearby structure. To prevent the cord from slipping off of the end of the drill's handle, this approach relies on the difference in size between the hand grip and the larger battery pack or butt of the handle.
Another approach to the problem of tethering a cordless drill is a tool wrap that has a cover formed with large straps and a connector ring. The cover is shaped to loosely slip over the block-shaped battery pack and then is secured to the battery pack by tightening the straps around the battery pack. A first strap is connected at one end of the cover and wraps over the top and around the battery pack in front of the handle. A second strap connects at one end to the front end or “toe” of the cover and wraps horizontally along the side of the battery pack, around the “heel” of the battery pack, and along the opposite side of the battery pack where it connects with hook-and-loop fasteners on the cover. The second strap passes through and retains a connector ring near the “heel” of the battery pack. A tether may be connected to the connector ring.